The American Readers Theatre (ART) had its beginning on September 23, 1999 at the Historic "National Arts Club" in New York City. The Company's first production was "Night Mother" written by Marsha Norman. The performance featured Tony award winning actress Kelly Bishop (Chorus Line) and Tony Nominated actress Crista Moore (Big). ART founder Jeffrey David Stocker directed the initial ART offering. Over the next few years, ART performed various readings at the National Arts Club and other venues throughout New York City.
In 2005, with the help of Greg Giblin Mr. Stocker brought ART to the Pocono Mountain, Pennsylvania area at which time ART became a Pennsylvania Non Profit Organization. In collaboration with the United States Forestry Service Grey Towers Arts and Conservation, ART produced Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" on October 29, 2006. The show was a commercial as well as a critical success, with the group recognized, by a local newspaper, as "One of the Year's best".
During 2006, the group performed "Charlotte's Web" at the GreyTowers Historic Site in Milford, Pennsylvania and the National Arts Club In New York City. The group went on to perform once again at Grey Towers in a two night, sold out staged reading of Bram Stoker's classic "Dracula". During the Christmas Holidays, the ART readers performed the 2006 version of "Christmas: 1933" at the Pike County Historical Society. In January 2007 ART has begun rehearsals for a performance of "Animal Farm" which will be held at the Grey Towers Historical Site on April 28th.